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Rubik's Cube Becomes Popular
In 1974, Erno Rubik, made the Rubik's cube. It became popular in the early 1980's. This event was significant, because it was a puzzle someone could carry around with them, and try to solve at any time. -
Pac-Man Video Game Released
Pac-Man was released in Japan on May 22, 1980, and it was released in America in October, the same year. This event in the 80's was significant, because it gave people a reason to go out with friends, and it lead to more video games. -
Ted Turner Establishes CNN
CNN was the first television show that was broadcasting 24 hours a day. Ted Turner was born in Ohio, and grew up with his father, learning the ways of his company. He eventually took it over, and created CNN. This event was significant, because it was the first television show to be on 24 hours in a day, which meant that if someone wanted to watch it in the middle of the night, they could. -
John Lennon Assassinated
In New York, John Lennon was shot twice in the back, and was dead as soon as he got to the hospital. This event was significant, because it shocked many of the music lovers, and the musicians themselves. -
Personal Computers (PC) Introduced by IBM
The personal computers were first released in 1981. They weighed almost 50 pounds, and were basically an electric type writer. The price for the computer started at $1,565. This event was significant, because it introduced computers to the public, and started the computer company for the future. -
New Plague Identifies as AIDS
AIDS first started to become a problem when an abundance of gay men began to die from an unknown sexually transmitted disease. This study began in California, but the researchers believed the disease originated in Haiti. This event was significant, because it started giving people more of a reason to discriminate against the gay community, because they were believed to have made AIDS happen. -
E.T. Movie Released
E.T. is a movie about an alien that gets stranded on earth. A young boy finds it, and decides to help it get back to its home. This movie was significant, because it brought the thought of aliens to life. It made people question whether or not aliens were real. It also brought more technology to movies, to create movies like that. -
Michael Jackson Releases Thriller
Michael Jackson released the song, Thriller, along with the music video. This got to be famous, because around this time, with the movie, E.T., things were becoming more relaxed, and this song has more of a "creepy" meaning/ feeling to it, along with E.T.. This event was significant, because it opened the world up to more music styles. -
Reagan Announces Defense Plan Called Star Wars
The day Reagan announced the defense plan, "Star Wars", he wanted to get rid of the threat made by the Soviets, of which that included nuclear missiles from their part. This event was significant, because it made the public less afraid of the Soviets. -
Sally Ride Becomes the First American Woman in Space
Sally Ride was the first American woman who went into space. Not only did she go into space for six days, she also helped build the space shuttle's robot arm. This was significant, because it was the first time a woman from America went to space. This also helped with equal rights for men and women. -
Hole in the Ozone Layer Discovered
In 1984, the hole in the ozone layer was discovered by British Antarctic Survey scientists, Joesph Farman, and Brian Gardiner. This was significant, because people began to realize that as a human race, we need to take better care of our planet. -
PG-13 Movie Rating Created
The PG-13 movie rating was created, so parents wouldn't need to go to teenagers movies, or going on dates with them. It also made it better for the business, because more teenagers went there. It was significant, because it made it easier for parents with teenagers to just drop them off at a movie, and go do something else. -
Terrorists Hijack TWA Flight 847
The TWA flight 847 from Athens to Rome was hijacked by terrorists who demanded the identity of anyone on the flight who had "Jewish sounding names". This terrified the public, because this was so unpredictable, and they were afraid that they would end up being in the next attack. This event was significant, because it really made it obvious that there are bad people out there, and no one should trust anyone. -
Wreck of the Titanic Found
The wreck of the Titanic was found 73 years after it sank, by Robert D. Ballard, who went to explore the wreck in an experimental, unmanned submersible developed by the U.S. Navy to search for the ocean liner. This event was significant, because it scared people when the Titanic sank, and no one thought it would be found, and it was a surprise when it was found. -
Space Shuttle Challenger Explodes
When the space shuttle, the Challenger exploded, 73 seconds after takeoff. It would have been the shuttle's tenth expedition, but sadly, that did not end up happening. This event was significant, because it brought light to the public that space expedition can be dangerous, even just in the space craft. -
U.S. Bombs Libya
The U.S. bombed Libya, because they had formed many anti- U.S. and anti- British terrorist groups. Libya fired at a U.S. aircraft, trying to kill the people in the airplane. This event was significant, because it made the people in the Middle East dislike America even more than they already did. This affected the future, and might be part of the reason ISIS is such a huge problem, today. -
The Oprah Winfrey Show Gets National Syndication
Oprah Winfrey was a woman from a small town, who was born to an unwed mother. Growing up was difficult for her. She started as a news anchor, then became a talk show host. This event was significant, because she was a woman who had such a high role in society. -
Iran-Contra Scandal Unfolds
After the plane crash that killed two people, and being captured by the Sandinista regime, Eugene Hasenfus. He confessed that he was shipping military equipment to Nicarauga. He claimed it was for the CIA. This event was significant, because this made people question the government and the CIA -
New York Stock Exchange Suffers Huge Drop on "Black Monday"
The New York stock exchange suffered the largest drop in a single day. It dropped down about 15%, which was the largest drop of all time. This event was significant, because it made people realize that not everything at the time was perfect, as it seemed. -
U.S.S.R. Launches Mir Space Station
The U.S.S.R. launched it's space station after the U.S. had already launched theirs. This event was significant, because the U.S. might have believed that the U.S.S.R. had copied them. Making the relationship between them awkward. -
World Wide Web Invented
The world wide web was invented by many people, it is looked at as if it was evolved, over time. When it was "invented" it only worked on big, heavy computers. Today, we can use it on any device that connects to the internet. This event was significant, because it showed how far technology had come, and helped the future to have internet. -
Exxon Valdez Spills Millions of Gallons of Oil on Coastline
The Exxon Valdez was one of the biggest oil spills of all time. It is estimated that about 11 million gallons of oil. It spread more than 100 miles form the source, and ended up polluting more than 700 miles of coastline. It started in Prince William Sound, in Alaska, and spread from there. This event was significant, because it showed people that we need to be more careful with our planet, and that what we do can be damaging. -
Students Massacred in China's Tiananmen Square
Almost 1 million students went to Beijing, to protest for greater democracy, but all got killed by many police members, who came in, and brutally murdered the kids. This event was significant, because it showed how dangerous protesting could be, and to get something someone wants, there has to be sacrifice. -
Berlin Wall Falls
The Berlin Wall was a wall that separated the west side and the east side of Berlin to stop the Soviets from taking over the rest of Berlin. This event was significant, because when it fell, it brought together Berlin, and showed that people can be happy again. -
Romanian Leader Nicolae Ceausescu and His Wife are Executed
The Romanian leader Nicolae Ceausescu, was a communist, and was the leader of Romania, from 1965, until the revolution started, and he got overthrown. This event was significant, because it proved that no where in the world was safe from terrorists.
